I don't think there are a lot of cons, climbingwise. Morialta has been further developed since I lived there and seems to go on forever these days. Bouldering and sportclimbing at norton has also been further developed, and there's at least one other cave in the area I know of now. There's some other stuff nearby at Victor Harbour, Onkaparinga Gorge, Waitpinga, Raetgens gap - there's an adelaide area guide somewhere. None of it is fantastic climbing, but it is a lot of ok enough climbing that's very accessible. Araps is about 5 hours, depending on which side of Adelaide you decide to live in. Moonarie is about 5 hours in the other direction. There's some other stuff in the flinders, and plenty of exploration to do if you're into that. If you're into gyms, there's only one, it's out in the burbs on the other side of town to heading out to araps and probably isn't that great, but I've never been there, so I'm talking out my arse really.

If I was to go searching for cons - it's a long way from any other climbing areas in Australia, but then, that will happen to some extent wherever you live. It gets pretty hot in Adelaide mid summer if you don't like the heat, but then, you can climb in the cooler parts of the day and get out before and after work hours to somewhere like morialta and norton, they are that close. I guess the other one is if you were really into sport climbing, you'd not have anywhere near as much good sport nearby as in sydney. It's more like 6 hours to the gramps.

I agree with Wendy, except perhaps that Waitpinga is somewhere between OK and fantastic. What you lose in days trips to the Blueys you gain in weekend trips to Moonarie, Arapiles and the Grampians. There's sport to be found at Thorn Buttress, Dry Creek, Norton, Car Crash Quarry, Snakelands, The Red Cliff, Doom Wall, the sea cliffs and a handful of other spots. I don't think the climbing would be a major issue if deciding whether to change cities.

Our sea cliffs are about an hour from the city. They're arguably less brittle than those in Sydney! For example:

Morialta is 20 minutes from the CBD and has a couple of shady crags for summer evenings. There's a handful of stellar routes and a lot of 'ok'. A popular place to take beginners as it is only a 3 minute walk and the popular areas have bollards for toproping.

Those living in the southern suburbs frequent Onkaparinga Gorge, which also features bollards above the popular top cliff, although it is more like a 20 minute walk.

Hot summer days can be remedied by a daytrip south to waitpinga - which I rate as one of the best cliffs within 4 hours of Adelaide. I would say 2 hrs 15 min to be at the base of the cliff from adelaide (incl. 30 min scramble/walk to base) but a very worthwhile undertaking given the top notch sea cliff slabbing with modern conveniences like bolts and loweroffs. See guidebook to get psyched.

Araps can be done in 4.5 hrs drive if you're keen and don't fart around buying dinner and such.

Sport climbers get into Norton Summit (15 minutes from CBD) and Car Crash Quarry (south of town) but neither appeal strongly to me.

Boulderers enjoy the Batchelor Pad (near Norton Summit) and Belair, but I don't really keep up with whichever new 4 foot crags they are developing.

There's one climbing gym and one bouldering gym. Hard to say if they're 'good' or not as I have nothing to compare them to, but I enjoy them enough to go there when it's raining or dark. They serve us well.

Rain can also be remedied by a 1.5 hr drive inland to Raetjens Gap. Expect to be the only people there.

On 2/05/2013 ratherbeclimbinV9 wrote:>No doubt Damo knows way>more about it (as with any topic) and will chime in ;)>
Well I know enough to know that regular "easy" 5hr each way commutes to the nearest good crag are feasible for psyched, single, 20yr old students. However, a family bloke with a job.......forget about it!

>Actually speaking of Damo, how will you resolve your very-very-long-and-rather-suspicious>y-buried but not forgotten bet about The Rage This Season if you move to>"Radelaide"?

That isn't forgotten Dave, I've just had an unfortunate series of events ranging from fuching uni exams, through 3 months in France, to knee surgery which kinda interfered with the timing of things. I plan to make good on all Chocky spray when I'm mobile again.

Anyway, weren't you going to take you mad boulderer skillz and get on Cave Route sometime?

On 2/05/2013 eduardo slabovic wrote:>>>>>That isn't forgotten Dave, I've just had an unfortunate series of events>>ranging from fuching uni exams, through 3 months in France, to knee surgery>>Howdidya do ya knee again....must of been some way slack stoner style>belay at Ceuse hey?

On 3/05/2013 ratherbeclimbinV9 wrote:>On 3/05/2013 uwhp510 wrote:>>On 3/05/2013 ratherbeclimbinV9 wrote:>>>I'm more interested in climbing often than spending my time training>>endurance for iconic routes.>>>>Those are the same things...>>>>ಠ_ಠ>>Not if you presume climbing in the above == bouldering :P>>At my advanced age and semi-crippled state, the more time spent training>endurance, the more power slips away into the wild blue yonder. I'd rather>be a totally crap boulderer than a super-majestic-pathetic route climber>and boulderer :)